The 2015-16 Big Ten basketball season is set to get underway next week. [ MORE: Get the full Big Ten men’s basketball exhibition schedule ] Maryland appears to be the undisputed favorite heading into the year, but what other Big Ten teams could sneak their way into the top of the conference standings? BTN.com Senior Writer Tom Dienhart and Web Editor Sean Merriman debated the following question: Who is this year’s Big Ten sleeper team? There are many good choices, but Dienhart sided with the Iowa Hawkeyes, while Merriman went with the Michigan Wolverines. Here is their reasons. DIENHART: Iowa

There were two Big Ten men’s exhibition basketball games on the schedule Wednesday night. [ MORE: Get the full Big Ten men’s basketball exhibition schedule ] Bryn Forbes scored a game-high 23 points and Denzel Valentine had a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead Michigan State to an impressive 94-53 victory over Northern Michigan in the opening game of the night. Ethan Happ had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in Wisconsin’s 101-46 win over UW-River Falls in the second game of the evening. Both games were broadcasted on BTN Plus, which allowed

College basketball is back! The Indiana Hoosiers kicked off their Big Ten exhibition season with an impressive 82-54 win over Ottawa on Tuesday night at Assembly Hall. [ MORE: Get the full Big Ten men’s basketball exhibition schedule ] James Blackmon led a balanced Indiana attack with 15 points. Troy Williams and Thomas Bryant chipped in 12 apiece and Yogi Ferrell added 11. The game was broadcasted on BTN Plus, which allowed us to capture the top highlights from the Hoosiers’ victory. Here is a look at the top three plays from Tuesday night’s game. 1. Troy Williams throws down

The 2015-16 Big Ten basketball season is set to tip off next week. In anticipation of the season, ESPN put together a list of the top 100 players. [ MORE: BTN Plus (subscription) airs 11 exhibition games this week ] A total of 26 ESPN college basketball writers, editors and analysts ranked players based on expected performance for the 2015-2016 season. Players were rated on both quality and quantity of contributions to their team’s ability to win games. There are 16 Big Ten players featured on the list, highlighted by Michigan State senior Denzel Valentine, who is listed at No.

Exhibition Week is an exciting time for the basketball enthusiast around the country. While it is simply the week before the start of the official season, it is the first time you get to see your favorite team in action against someone other than themselves. [ MORE: BTN Plus (subscription) airs 11 exhibition games this week ] To a lot of fans, exhibition games are viewed as the equivalent of The Globetrotters playing the Washington Generals. To most, it should be a game of dunks, high shooting percentages and kid-friendly entertainment. As someone who played in and actually lost one

The Big Ten men’s basketball exhibition season continues this week, and BTN Plus is the place to catch all 11 exhibitions. [ MORE: Six Big Ten teams ranked in preseason AP Poll | Follow @BTNJonCrispin! ] Indiana hosts Ottawa at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday to open the week’s festivities, which will feature six ranked teams in action, including No. 3 Maryland (7:30 p.m. ET Friday vs. Southern New Hampshire). All of this week’s games require a subscription to BTN Plus. Beginning Nov. 13, a number of regular season non-conference Big Ten men’s games will also be available via BTN Plus

There are many Division I coaches in the country who have a wish list in regards to personnel and pieces on the floor. While we have seen some schools (Duke and Kentucky, in particular) benefit from having the right players at the right time, I’m sure Coach Cal and Coach K would tell you that the one thing they’d add was experience. Experience, on top of talent, is what allows coaches to relax in tight-game situations and gives them confidence and trust that the group on the floor can get the job done. [ MORE: View Jon Crispin’s preseason Big